The chondrogenic potential of carbon fiber and carbon fiber periosteum implants: an ultrastructural study in the rabbit.

The articular tissue generated on carbon fiber rods in rabbit knee joints after 75 days of intermittent active motion was compared with tissue generated on carbon fiber rods whose articular surfaces were covered with a free reversed periosteal graft. Both methods were effective in generating articular tissue; however, tissue with ultrastructural characteristics similar to those of hyaline cartilage was noted more frequently on the composite implants. If such composite implants were clinically effective then they might be useful in treating symptomatic osteochondral defects.

A survey to assess the ultrastructural preservation of fixed biological samples after air-drying from tetramethylsilane.

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) survey assessed the quality of ultrastructural preservation of a wide range of tissues from the laboratory rat and from a limited number of botanical and fly-larval samples, air-dried from tetramethylsilane (TMS) after chemical fixation and dehydration. Comparisons were made with critical point drying (CPD) and air-drying from acetone. CPD produced good results in all cases.